Electric fish-stop.



H. T. BURKEY.

ELECTRIC FISH STOP.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT, 28. Ian.

Patented June 11. 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I H. T BURKEY ELECT .APPLICATION FILED SEPT.28. 1917.

ERIC FISH STOP.

Patented'lune 11, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

we r a. near, or Trash, t. 2::

ELECTRIC FISH-STOP.

hpeetflcatton of hettera Patent. Pwbgmtgdl J 1m flgflg Application med fieptember at, 1917. Serial No. 198,800.

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'Fhe Object of the present invention is to provide a simple, practical and eficlent electric fish stop designed for use 1n irrlgatmg ditches and analogous places and capable of electrifying the water with graduallyin creasin intensity, whereby fish of all sizes found in such places will be turned back without liabilit of killing the smaller fish by subjecting t e same to a sudden charge of an excessively heavy current.-

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto applended; it being understood that various c anges in the form, proportion, srze and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted without departing from the spirit or sacr1- ficing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a plan view of an electr c fish stop constructed in accordance with this invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken longitudinally of the trough.

F1 3 is a sectional view taken trans verse y of the trough.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a fish stop showin another form of the invention.

lig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional new of the same.

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of l the fish stop shown in Fig. 4.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

In the accompanying drawing, in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the electric fish stop comprises in its construction a trough 1 designed to be constructed of wood or any other suitable material and composed of a bottom and side walls and arranged within an irrigation ditch 2, but the apparatus may be use in any similar place for preventing fish from passin from a reservoir or other pomt through itches or the like leading therefrom. The trough may be of any desired dimensions and it is equipped at one of its side walls at the inner face thereof with a continuous electrode 3 consisting preferably of a rectangular copper plate which is designed to extend from one end of the trough to the other and from the bottom of the same to the upper edge of the said" side walls. The trough is equipped at the'opposite side with a lurality of electrodes 4, 5, 6 and 7 arranged in spaced relation and extending from the bottom of the trough to the upper edge of the side upon which they are mounted. While copper is preferably employed in the construction of the plates or electrodes they may be of any other suitable conducting material.

The spaced series of electrodes 4, 5, 6 and 7 are connected by wires 8, 9, 10 and 11 with portions or units 12, 13, 14 and 15 of a transformer 16 of any desired construction. The portions 12, 13, 14 and 15 of the transformer are also connected by wires 17, 18, 19 and 20 with a conductor wire 21 leadin to and connected with the continuous e ectrode. The transformer is also connected with a generator 22 or other source of electric current supply by feed wires 23 and 24, and the generator may be conveniently o erated by water power or any other sultab e means as will be readily understood.

The portions of the transformer, which areconnected with the members of the series of electrodes, are designed to step down the current from the generator or the source of supply to a current say of twenty-five volts, seventy-five volts, one hundred and twentyfive volts and two hundred volts, the current at the mouth or entrance of the trough being designed to be twenty-five volts and graduall increasing in vloltage to the rear or outlet .en It has been found by practice that fish are exceedingly sensitive to electricity in water and will be turned back by a current of suflicient power to afiect them. In order to prevent in'ury to small fish the current passing from t e electrodes 4, 5, 6 and 7 to the main electrode 3 is weakest at the entrance 7 vent the electric current from passing so that small fish will beturned back Without liability of killing the same and while the current at the entrance .may not a be suflicient to sto larger fish, the latter Wlll be stopped by t e increasin current before they ass through the troug In th1s manner t e fish Will be effectively prevented from passin through the trough and mjury to sma fish Wlll be elimlnated. The apparatus is adapted to mamtam a steady flow of current across the trou h and the strength of the current may 0 course be varied to suit the size of the electrodes and the distance between the same and the various other conditions incident to the installation of the apparatus in an irrigat' d1tch or other water passage where it is esired to prevent the fish from passing through the same with the water; It is designed to use an alternatin current of high ower at the source, and w ile the series of e ectrodes are shown consistin of four any numbermay of course be inc uded in the series and the members may be of any desired size.

In Figs. 4 to 6 inclusive of the drawings is illustrated another form of the invention in which buoyant electrodes 25, 26, 27 and 28 are employed. The buoyant electrodes, which are constructed of copper or other suitable conducting. material, are hollow to provide air chambers 29 and they are pivoted or hinged at 30 to opposite supports 31 preferably consisting of marble slabs or other suitable insulating material to premto the banks at opposite sides of the ditch or stream. The hollow buoyant electrodes, which are ada ted to rise and fall with the water, float su stantially upon the surface of the same and the current will pass through the electrodes and through the water to the bottom of the stream or ditch. The side supports are preferably provided with extenslons 31 to receive the pivots of the electrodes and wires 32, 33, 34 and 35, which extend from the said pivots connect electrodes with units 36, 37, 38 and 39'of a transformer 40 constructed similar to that heretofore described and connected by wires 41 and 42 with a suitable-generator43. The

,units of the transformer are also connected creasing intensity so as to effectively stop large and small fish without liability of in- 'jurying the same. Various other means may of course be employed for electrifying the water to'provide a fish stop of the character described. The electrodes are preferabl of a length to extend entirely across the 'tch or stream. Other'forms of electrodes may be employed and perforated metal or screenelectrodes have been found eificient for this purpose. When perforated metal'or screen are employed for pivoted electrodes, any

passing the fish stop, sai means includinga plurality of electrodes arranged atinterva s, and means. for roducing electric currents of rogressive y increasing strength through t e water. a

2. An electric fish sto of the class described including means or electrifying the water of a stream or ditch at a sectional portion of the same to prevent fish from passing the fish stop, said means including a lurality of electrodes arranged at interv a transformer connected with the electrodes for producing currents increasing in voltage irom one end of the series of electrodes to the other, and means for supplying the transformer with a current of relatlvel high ower.

3. electric fish sto of the class described including means or electrifying the water of a stream or ditch at a section or portion of the same to prevent fish from passing the fish stop.

4. An electric fish sto of the class described including means or electrifying the water of a stream. or ditch with progressively increasing currents to prevent fish from assing the fish stop.

5. 11 electric ,fish stop of the class described including a pivotally mounted buoyant electrode arranged tense and fall with the water and adapted to electrify the water of a stream or d1tch to prevent fish fiom passing along the same.

6. An electric fish stop of the class de scribed includin a plurality of pivotall mounted electro es arran ed at mterv along a ditch or stream an adapted to electrify the water passing along the same with increasing intensity.

7. An electric fish stop of the class described includin mounted electro es arran ed at intervals along a ditch or stream an adapted to electrify the water passing alon the same with increasing intensity, said e ectrodes being hollow to form air chambers for rendering the electrodes buoyant to enable the same to rise and fall with the water and adapted to cause currents of electricity to pass through the water from the surface to the bottomof the same.

8. An electricvfish stop ofthe class described includin mounted electro es arranged at intervals a plurality of pivotally' a plurality of'pivotally menace along a, ditch or stream {mi eda ted to ing units connected with the electrodes, nut 10 clectrify the water passing along e same a fierator connected. with the tranfiormer,

with increasing intensity, said electrodes Toetcstimon whereof I afix my signature idng hollgw tic forn abir chambers fggrl renin presence 0 two witnesses.

5 ering t e eectro es uo ant to one e the same to rise and fall with the water and I mmy Emmy adapted to cause currents of electricity to Wimesses: pass through the water from the surface to W. C. Rnrmcm, the bottom of the same, a. wensformer hcvi =1 

